Speakers at Trump's convention: An astronaut, a quarterback, but no Sarah Palin

CLEVELAND — A night highlighting the tragedy in Benghazi, Libya. An appearance by onetime football star Tim Tebow. A presentation detailing former President Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct.

Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee, has been promising a different kind of Republican National Convention, and plans obtained by The New York Times show that he is eager to put his showbiz stamp on the party's gathering, even as he struggles to attract A-list talent.

The roster of speakers obtained by The Times, and confirmed by two people with direct knowledge of the convention planning, reveals a lineup lacking many of the party's rising stars. Instead, it features some of Trump's eclectic collection of friends, celebrities and relatives, from his Slovenian supermodel wife to professional golfer Natalie Gulbis.

The parade of people seems to have been selected to broaden Trump's demographic reach.

There are several notable women speaking. They include Pam Bondi, the Florida attorney general, who tangled on television with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper after the Orlando, Florida, nightclub massacre; Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission; Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma; Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Trump's wife, Melania.

There are a few African-Americans, like Jamiel Shaw Sr., who became an outspoken advocate for tougher immigration laws after his son was killed in 2008 by an unauthorized immigrant; and Darryl Glenn, who is running for Senate in Colorado.

[Trump delivers words of resistance embraced by resentful whites]

From sports there is Tebow, the former quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner who is known for his conservative views; Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts organization; and Gulbis.

Billionaire Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur, will represent the business community, along with Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a private-equity real estate investor.

The list of politicians scheduled to appear include people who have been out of office for some time, like Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor, and newcomers like Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.

There are plans to emphasize different themes each night of the convention. Trump wants to touch on a few of his favorite hot-button issues, like the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, former President Clinton's infidelities and border security.

All four of Trump's adult children are scheduled to speak.

Trump is still inviting people, his aides have said. And the people who spoke about his list of speakers cautioned that it could grow.

But what is striking, as much as who is on the list, is who is not. Several figures Trump had said he would invite to speak, like boxing promoter Don King and Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, were not included. Neither was Tom Brady, the New England Patriots quarterback, a hugely popular figure in the key state of New Hampshire.

The list, which is subject to change, as obtained by The New York Times:

Night 1: A Benghazi focus, followed by border patrol agents and Shaw, whose son was killed by an unauthorized immigrant; Cotton, Giuliani, Melania Trump, Ernst and others.

Night 2: A focus on the economy: White, president of the UFC; Asa Hutchinson, the governor of Arkansas; Michael Mukasey, the former U.S. attorney general; Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a vice-presidential possibility; Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader; Tiffany Trump; Donald Trump Jr. and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

Night 3: Bondi; Collins; Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker; Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; Eric Trump; Gulbis; and the nominee for vice president.

Night 4: Tebow; Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma; Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman; Gov. Rick Scott of Florida; Thiel; Barrack; Ivanka Trump; Donald J. Trump.

Even as they finalized the list this week, Trump's campaign aides and party officials were working behind the scenes to stave off any challenges to Trump's nomination on the convention floor next week.

[GOP moves closer to base in platform]

Priebus was blunt about the need for party leaders to support Trump and defeat Hillary Clinton — even if the reasoning he offered appeared to be less than a full-throated endorsement.

"If we don't stick together as a party and stop her, then the only alternative is to get comfortable with the phrase President Hillary Clinton," Priebus said in remarks to party leaders Wednesday.

An extended and confrontational debate could reopen doubts about Trump's candidacy and cast a shadow over what is supposed to be a triumphant moment of party unity.

The prospect of multiple delegate votes with unknown outcomes and unforeseeable consequences is something Trump's campaign and Priebus are intent on preventing. What is ordinarily a carefully choreographed event — planned to conform neatly to the prime-time schedules of the television networks — could slip into chaos.

Still, the chance that Trump's opponents could muster enough support to deny him the nomination is remote. The biggest hazard that Trump and the leaders of the Republican National Committee are trying to contain is how messy the process could become — and how much damage Trump's campaign could sustain.

Starting Thursday morning, delegates will begin to debate a series of proposals to change the party's rules. Those proposed changes could include a provision that would allow delegates to vote their consciences in selecting the Republican presidential nominee instead of voting in accordance with the outcomes of the primaries and caucuses in their states, as most state party rules require.